Since 2003, the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress has served as a key platform in advancing commitment and cooperation toward the achievement of the shared vision of a sustainable East Asian Seas through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).

The past four EAS Congresses have established the EAS Congress as an intellectual marketplace and has continued to live up to its concept as a regionwide platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, capacity building, strategic action and cooperation.

The EAS Congress 2015 will review the progress and achievements in implementing the SDS-SEA and build on the key recommendations of the EAS Congress 2012 and tackle emerging issues and developments on coastal and ocean governance and management in the region.

The EAS Congress 2015 highlights the SDS-SEA as a platform to achieve ecological, social and economic development in the Seas of East Asia, as well as the implementation of other key international and regional instruments with key targets set for 2015 such as the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, Hyogo Framework of Action (2005-2015); ASEAN Regional Programme and Framework on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER Work Programme 2010-2015); and the 2006 Haikou Partnership Agreement on the Implementation of the SDS-SEA.  

The overall Congress conference offers a comprehensive programme  featuring various accomplishments in coastal and ocean governance and in various aspects of sustainable development, as well as, presenting new approaches, innovative technologies, and best practices that may be helpful in addressing some of the persistent and emerging challenges in the East Asian Seas region.